PathogenDx Announces Five-Year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with USDA Agricultural Research Service to Advance Rapid Detection of High-Pathogenicity Salmonella
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – 20 October, 2026 – PathogenDx, Inc., a developer of advanced molecular diagnostic technologies for food safety and other applications, today announced the formal execution of a five-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) to advance the development and evaluation of its D3 Array platform and SeroX molecular assay designed to identify Salmonella strains associated with greater risk of human illness.
Under the CRADA, PathogenDx and scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s U.S. Meat Animal Research Center will collaborate to incorporate seven Salmonella gene targets identified through ARS research, into PathogenDx’sexisting SeroX D3 Array platform. The resulting research assay, designated SeroX-HPS, is intended to expand the ability to rapidly identify Salmonella strains carrying molecular markers associated with highly pathogenic or invasive Salmonella.
Salmonella enterica is a leading cause of gastrointestinal illness in the United States and worldwide. Because Salmonella encompasses more than 2,500 serotypes, simply identifying the presence of Salmonella may not provide the level of information needed to distinguish strains of potentially greater public-health concern. The CRADA builds on ARS research identifying seven molecular targets — sseK2, sseK3, gtgA/gogA, avrA, lpfB, sspH2 and spvD (10.3389/fmicb.2024.1504621)— that are associated to varying degrees with Salmonella serotypes that have been linked to invasive disease and human illness.
The research will evaluate the incorporation of these targets, as well as potentially additional markers identified during the collaboration, into SeroX. The objective is to develop and evaluate the feasibility and utility of an expanded assay capable of providing more information about the characteristics of Salmonella detected in food samples.
Advancing a More Informative Approach to SalmonellaTesting
Traditional food-safety testing generally focuses on determining whether Salmonella is present or absent. The research underlying this collaboration represents an opportunity to explore an additional layer of information: whether the Salmonella detected carries genetic markers associated with strains that have historically been more closely associated with human illness.
“This collaboration represents an important step toward giving the food and meat industry more actionable information about the Salmonella it detects,” said Milan Patel, CEO and Co-Founder of PathogenDx. “The ultimate opportunity is not simply to detect Salmonella faster, but to better understand what is present. If we can reliably identify genetic markers associated with strains of greater concern, the industry could have an additional tool to make more informed decisions about product disposition, process control and interventions — with the potential to contribute to reducing Salmonella-associated illnesses.”
“The impact could extend well beyond poultry,” Patel continued. “The research program includes evaluation of relevant food matrices including chicken, turkey, pork and beef. Our long-term vision is to help create a more precise, data-driven approach to Salmonella risk management across the food production continuum.”
Research Across Poultry, Beef and Pork
The collaboration is intended to support the broader goal of improving the ability of food-safety stakeholders to identify Salmonella strains of greater public-health concern and potentially make more informed decisions regarding contaminated products in Poultry, Beef and Pork. The CRADA describes a shared objective of developing improved testing tools that could help identify high-pathogenicity Salmonella in food products and support efforts to prevent strains historically associated with outbreaks from entering commerce.
Building on PathogenDx’s Multiplex Molecular Platform
PathogenDx’s SeroX platform uses the company’s D3 Array technology to simultaneously analyze multiple Salmonella targets. SeroX currently incorporates detection of 16 Salmonella serotypes in a three-dimensional array format in a single well. Through the CRADA research, the platform will be evaluated for the addition of the seven ARS-identified gene targets and potentially other relevant markers identified during the research program.
The research program reflects PathogenDx’s broader focus on developing multiplex molecular testing approaches that can provide more information from a single test and potentially support faster, more informed food-safety decisions.
About PathogenDx
PathogenDx, Inc. is a biotechnology company developing advanced multiplex molecular diagnostic technologies designed to provide rapid, sensitive and information-rich detection of pathogens. The company’s patented D3 Array platform is designed to simultaneously analyze multiple genetic targets, enabling applications across food safety, environmental testing and other diagnostic markets.
For more information, visit https://pathogendx.com/food/
About the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and PathogenDx, Inc. is Agreement No. 58-3040-6-022, with a period of September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2031. The agreement establishes a collaborative research program titled “Incorporating ARS Highly Pathogenic Salmonella Gene Targets into the SeroX D3 Array Test to Create the SeroX-HPS Test.”
Important Note: The CRADA establishes an independent research relationship between USDA-ARS and PathogenDx. Nothing in this announcement should be interpreted as an endorsement or recommendation by USDA, USDA-ARS, or any USDA organizational unit of PathogenDx, its products or services.
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